NEURAL CONTROL OF LOCOMOTION - SENSORY CONTROL OF THE CENTRAL PATTERNGENERATOR AND ITS RELATION TO TREADMILL TRAINING

Many studies have shown that a special treadmill training is effective in restoring locomotor function in cats with a complete spinal lesion . In the last few years it has become possible to regain some locomoto r activity in patients suffering from a spinal cord injury through an intense training on a treadmill, as in cats. The ideas behind this app roach owe much to insights derived from studies on spinalized animals. The neural system responsible for the locomotor restoration in both c ats and humans is thought to be located at spinal level and is referre d to as the central pattern generator. The evidence for such a spinal central pattern generator is reviewed in part 1. An important element in the treadmill training for both spinal injured cats and humans is t he provision of adequate locomotor related sensory input, which can po ssibly activate and/or regulate the spinal locomotor circuitry. This p art of the review deals with the afferent control of the central patte rn generator. Furthermore, the results of treadmill training for both cats and humans and their relation to sensory input are treated. These insights can possibly contribute to the design of a better treadmill training program for the rehabilitation of gait in spinal cord injured patients. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.